On the wall in front of me was a plaque that read, “Passion, Purpose & Play.” I am an organized person that loves to schedule and plan, and often work on several projects in parallel – so I feel like I have passion and purpose down pretty well. However, I have found that when I don’t take time to play my passion and purpose lose their shine.

Passion is about our emotions and what lights us up, what gets us excited or motivated about doing things. Purpose is about why we do what we do; some people are driven by a aligning with a higher power while others focus on goals and targets. We can be passionate about our purpose and play, but when the passion for purpose and play gets mislaid or misplaced the dominate feeling can become boredom and monotony.

We are all wired differently, so what excites one person won’t necessarily excite everyone – and this is a good thing. Have you stopped recently and reflected on where you are and where you want to go? Are you still on Plan A or have you moved to another version because things changed? Plan A is always my starting point, but it doesn’t take long for something to change and B has to be implemented.

Which brings me to play and how important it is to schedule play, fun or just down time like you would any other important event or activity. Whether you are taking time to play sports, going out with friends, or taking your dog for a walk, find something that you enjoy that puts energy back into your system rather than consuming it.

The last few years have been especially challenging for many people. Some have been asked to work from home when their preferred workspace is at work. Others have been quarantined because of personal or family illness and feel disconnected from the normal routine. I have found that whenever life is disrupted I need more time to recharge than usual. So, be gentle with your self where you are, and check in to see if you need more play to boost your passion and purpose.

I encourage you to evaluate your passion, purpose and play to see if you need to make adjustments to get where you want to go! Let me know if I can help you with your work/life balance.